A dramatic late goal lifted Inter to victory and gave Cristian Chivu his first win as head coach in an international senior competition. At Seattle’s Lumen Field, the Nerazzurri edged Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1, thanks to a brilliant overhead kick by Lautaro Martínez and a stoppage-time finish from Valentín Carboni.
For more than an hour, it looked like a cursed night. Urawa, currently eighth in Japan’s J League, capitalized on a defensive mix-up between Dimarco and Zalewski. Kaneko took advantage and found Watanabe, whose shot deflected off Darmian to make it 1-0. Inter controlled possession (over 80% in the first half) but failed to convert chances — their best effort a Lautaro header that struck the crossbar from an Asllani cross.
Chivu shuffled the deck after halftime: Zalewski made way for Mkhitaryan, and Pio Esposito replaced his brother Sebastiano. The 20-year-old striker is one of Chivu’s protégés from his Primavera days, and injected fresh energy alongside Inter’s seasoned core.
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It was up to Lautaro, the captain, to lead by example — and he delivered. In the 78th minute, the Argentine pulled off a spectacular falling overhead kick to level the score with his 17th goal of the season.
The winner came deep into stoppage time. At 92’, Carboni — another player developed under Chivu — controlled the ball in the box and buried a left-footed shot past the Japanese keeper. The victory revives Inter’s hopes in the group, with a decisive clash against River Plate up next.
The Urawa supporters brought the heat, creating an electric atmosphere with nonstop chants under the banner "Home of 12", symbolizing their role as the twelfth man. Inter’s support, in contrast, was limited to a few scattered fans and onlookers.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Inter’s management continues working on the transfer market. Parma’s young striker Bonny is among the targets. As for potential exits, Galatasaray is still pushing for Çalhanoglu, but Marotta cooled the rumors: “He’s an integral part of our technical project. He hasn’t expressed any desire to leave”.
